Jun. 11, 2010

How Baby Bubbles Are Born

Engineer James Bird estimates that he watched thousands of bubbles pop while he was getting his Ph.D. at Harvard University. With the help of high-speed cameras, Bird and his colleagues discovered that when interfacial bubbles--bubbles resting on water or a solid--pop, they give birth to a ring of baby bubbles. The discovery, published in Nature, has implications for soda drinkers and global climate estimates.

footage, images courtesy of James Bird et. al., Nature

Discussion

FEATURED READING

This Idea Must Die: Scientific Theories That Are Blocking Progress (Edge Question Series)